“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.” Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8
Today is the first day of spring, and it looks like it is going to be a beautiful day here in the Wenatchee Valley. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and I hear birds chirping in the trees. The idyllic scene which greets my senses contrasts sharply with the news reports of coronavirus infections and deaths, travel restrictions, school and restaurant closures, and fear. In this time of jarring inconsistencies, perhaps it is helpful to remember the scriptural truth that there is a season for everything. Just as we are moving from winter into spring, this awful, fearful season of disease will eventually pass. We do not know when things will get better. Perhaps the fifteen-day national goal to slow the spread of the disease will yield tangible results. Even the medical experts are hesitant to offer specific timelines. Yet we know, and can be comforted by, the truth that this, too, will pass. This strange, world-updside-down, fearful time will eventually subside. It may be God’s providence that a couple of days ago, the first person was vaccinated for coronavirus as part of a clinical trial. Imagine: this initial vaccination happens during the same week when we move from winter into spring. Like the changing of the calendar, that initial vaccination signals real hope… When you are tempted to give into discouragement, turn to the Lord. Take your worries, your burdens, and your fears, and cast them upon His shoulders. And know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God loves you, He cares for you, and this season of social distancing and disease will eventually end. Seasons change, but the love of the Lord is constant. Claim that truth today, and each and every day. For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of confidence in Him. Prayer for the Day God of all time, Comfort us, and all your people, during this time of disease, fear, and social isolation. Remind us of your love, and that though the disease is beyond our control, nothing is beyond Your control. Thank you for this first day of spring, and signs of hope in our world. May fear diminish, and hope grow, in our valley, in our state, in our nation, and in our world. We pray this prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.
